Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Breast cancer cases are on the rise and have been increasing over the last 10 years. At the same time the number of deaths from breast cancer is declining. The rising incidence is largely due to an aging population and better detection with mammograms. Because more cases are being detected early many cancers are treated and “cured” effectively. In addition, new drugs have become available that specifically treat certain types of breast cancer.
Unfortunately, some forms of breast cancer are difficult to detect and often go undiagnosed. One such type of breast cancer is inflammatory breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an advanced and accelerated form of breast cancer that usually does not show up on routine screening exams such as mammograms or ultrasounds. Inflammatory breast cancer requires immediate aggressive treatment with chemotherapy prior to surgery and is treated differently than more common types of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer also is more common in certain ethnic populations such as African Americans. Important symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include: swelling, itching, pink or dark colored area with an unusual texture (much like the skin of an orange - hence it is described as peau d’orange), ridges and thickened areas of the breast skin, a bruise that doesn’t go away, nipple retraction, nipple discharge, breast is warm to touch, and breast pain. Any of these symptoms should be checked out by a doctor. It is important to remember that “you do not need to have a lump to have breast cancer.”
